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Let's go to the movies!

**Multikino, Krakow**When it comes to going to the cinema I have always been a huge fan. When I was living in England I had one of the Cineworld Unlimited cards meaning I paid a certain price and I could go to the cinema as many times as I wanted. Upon moving to Krakow I was a little concerned that my cinema outings would be few and far between, mainly due to the language barrier. However, after many trips to the Multikino cinema in Krakow I am pleased to say that in actual fact this isn't an issue at all.

**Location**Multikino is located outside of the city centre so you will need to take a bus from the centre to Park Wodny bus stop. From the centre this will take around 20 minutes on buses 125, 128, 129, 138, 139, 142, 152, 159 and 501. If you have internet access while you are in Krakow then you can always check your route on www.jakdojade.pl website. This site can be translated into English and used to plan your routes around the city.

From the bus stop it is impossible to miss the cinema as it is pretty huge and directly in front of you.

The cinema also has a car park, so if you have a car while you are here you can use this for free.

**Entrance & Tickets**The entrance to the cinema is accessible by both stairs and a ramp. As you enter the cinema you will see ticket desks to the left of you, the popcorn counter on the far back wall and a small ice cream and coffee place to the right of you. As we tend to go to the cinema on a Wednesday to take advantage of Orange Wednesdays I often find that the reception area is very busy. Usually this would irritate me but as the area is so large it doesn't seem to bother me so much.

For me, buying a ticket has always been easy, most of the staff are quite young and do speak just enough English for me to make it clear which film I want to see. On the odd occasion where I haven't been understood I have simply pointed to the poster of the desired film and we've communicated this way as it was easier to understand than me trying to say the names of the films in Polish! This alone gives the staff top marks for being patient and understanding my mix of English, broken Polish and strange sign language! They have always been patient and tried to understand as best as possible.

Ticket prices are slightly cheaper here than the UK, during the week they are 20zl (Polish Zloty) which is around £4-ish and the weekend slightly more at 24zl.

**Sweets, Drinks and Popcorn**Once the tickets are purchased it is time to choose the munchies! Now, in the UK I have tended to avoid munchies at the cinema due to the ridiculous prices, however, they are a little lower here, only a little, but this can make all the difference when you smell the hot dogs and fresh popcorn. We usually tend to have a small drink and popcorn each, this comes as a child's meal deal and 9 times out of 10 it will result in you receiving some kind of novelty plastic cup, I don't mind this but I think my partner is getting a little fed up of them piling up in the kitchen. The price for this meal deal is 17zl, which I have worked out to be around the £3.50-ish mark depending on the exchange rate. A hot dog here is 7zl and they are really nice.

**Cafe & Pub**On the odd occasion we have arrived to the cinema a little early and found ourselves with time to spare. This time is usually spent sitting in the cafe area, although we don't usually buy anything from here there is a selection of ice creams priced at just 2.50zl with really nice looking waffle cones and a large selection of flavoured coffees, frappes and smoothies priced from 10zl upwards.

The cinema also has a small pub area where you can enjoy a beer before your film. The beer cost 12zl the last time we had one, this was around Christmas 2011. Take into mind that the beer cannot be taken into the screen with you so you will need to allow yourself time to finish it before the film.

Both of these areas have some really nice comfy seating and are quite relaxing to wait in.

**Finally, Let's Watch a Movie!**So, the one and only reason you are coming to the cinema is to watch a movie, so lets do it. There are 12 screens or in Polish 'Sala' at Multikino, they vary in size and which one you are in will obviously be dependant on the film. As I have been here many times now I have been in quite a few of the screens so I will give you an overview of them all rather than one specific.

In general, all of the screens are the same quality and the only real difference is the number of seats available. As you enter the room you will always be at the bottom of the seating area. All of the seats are numbered and your specific row and seat number will be printed on your ticket. You must take the seat you are allocated rather than sit where there is space.

The seating in all of the screens is really comfortable. They all have a nice black leather covering and cup holders in every arm rest. The seats are non adjustable, which to me is great as you don't get the annoying people in front of you lying back and taking your leg room. Speaking of which, the rows are spaced out very well indeed and do offer plenty of leg room, I am only short but I do like to be able to stretch my legs at the cinema especially if the film is quite long.

Unlike my experiences of the cinema in England where you will watch numerous adverts before the film actually starts 30 minutes later than advertised, I have noticed here that the adverts begin before the advertised start time of the film and the films generally begin on time.

Ok, so it goes without saying, the cinema in Poland... surely the film will be in Polish? Well, yes and no! Most of the mainstream films for ages 15 and over are screened in English with Polish subtitles. When I first started going to the cinema here I found this to be very distracting, however I have now become immune. Animated films and those aimed at a younger audience are dubbed into Polish so if you were planning on bringing the kids here as a treat for not moaning about all the sightseeing, I would plan something else!

The size of the actual screens does vary slightly depending on the size of the room you are in, but it is always in proportion to the room size. I have sat in various locations around the room and I have always had a clear view of the screen even when there are tall people in front of us. The picture on the screen is always really sharp and the colours look very natural, I particularly enjoy that there are no flickery patches as these really bug me.

As for the sound in the cinema, I have found this to be generally fine. It's not too loud and certainly not too quiet. The only thing I have noticed which could do with improvement is if we are watching a quieter film we can often hear noise in the background from the surrounding screens, it isn't so loud that it distracts you from the film you are watching, but it is noticeable.

**Leaving the Cinema**Once the film is over you will leave the cinema through the fire exit doors at the bottom of the screen. These can lead to anywhere! Most of the time they lead to the car park and it will be obvious which way you need to go. If they don't then I have always found the "follow the crowd" method works best as usually the majority of people will be heading for the main road and the bus stop.

**Accessibility**The cinema is suitable for wheelchair users and can be entered via the ramp. Once inside the cinema there are no stairs to any of the screens and wheelchair users are given seats at the front of the screen.

**Toilets**The toilets in Multikino are generally kept clean, they do tend to have a slight toilet odour to them, but nothing so bad that you run out gagging. They have always been stocked with toilet roll, but the soap availability can be a little hit and miss. I do find it amusing that on the back wall of each toilet cubicle they have quotes from different films written entirely in English.

**Overall**Overall I really enjoy our trips to Multikino, I have been to a couple of other cinemas around the city, but this one is the closest to home for me and in my opinion it is the best one here. The staff are as helpful as they can be and there is a nice selection of things to do while you wait for your film. The screen quality is great and the sound is always crisp and clear. All in all the Multikino makes for a great cinema experience and I recommend it to you if you are ever visiting Krakow and fancy a relaxing evening away from the pub.

It might also interest you that here in Poland we often get films a month or 2 after the UK so if you miss a film at home and just happen to be here then you may be able to catch it here instead.